Group of Evolutionary Ecology of Insects

The main research trends – studies into ecological, behavioural and morpholo-gical characters of insect species to assess their evolution rate. The scientific problems solved: ecological, behavioural and morpholo-gical polytypicity of insects and their individual parame-ters, important for repro-ductive success; predator-prey interaction; hunting behaviour; ecological niches of species; bioindication using insect communities; adaptation of introduced and invasive insects in ecosystems; population size and dynamics; ecological, behavioural and morphological microevolution; reconstruction of phylogeny of taxa.

Currently the main research object are communities of aculeate Hymenoptera that occupy trap-nests.

The group was established in 2003.

Eduardas Budrys, Dr – Senior Researcher

Tel. +370 5 272 92 64, e-mail: ebudrys@ekoi.lt

Taxonomy of wasps; species niches; predator-prey interaction; factors that define the wasp nesting cavity choice; applicability of the trap-nesting Hymenoptera communities to the habitat bioindication

Anna Budrienė, Dr – Researcher

Tel. +370 5 272 92 64, e-mail: anna@ekoi.lt

Mating behaviour of wasps and factors affecting their reproductive success; trophic links of wasps; stinging behaviour of wasps

Aušra Briliūtė, assistant

In 23 December 2004, the equivalency student Ana Budrienė defended doctoral dissertation "Reproductive Ecology and Behaviour of Predatory Wasps (Hymenoptera: Eumeninae)"[Summary] [Full text] in the fields of ecology and environmental research.

Research Services

Projects

Securing the Conservation of biodiversity across Administrative Levels and spatial, temporal, and Ecological Scales (EU FP7: SCALES; 2009-2014) (A. Budrienė) 

A Pan-European Species-directories Infrastructure (EU FP7: PESI; 2008-2011) (E. Budrys)

Developing the EU biodiversity research strategy (EU FP6: Biostrat; 2006-2010) (E. Budrys) 

Assessing LArge scale environmental Risks for biodiversity with tested Methods (EU FP6: ALARM; associated partner 2006-2008) (E. Budrys)

EU-wide monitoring methods and systems of surveillance for species and habitats of Community interest (EU FP6: EUMON; 2004-2008) (E. Budrys)

European Platform for Biodiversity, Extension of Partners from NAS (Bioplatform) (E.Budrys)

Fauna Europaea Extension to NAS Countries (FaEu-NAS) (E.Budrys)

European Network for Biodiversity Information (ENBI) (E.Budrys)

Publications

Budrys E., Andreu Ureta J., Briliūtė A., Cetkovic A., Heinrich S., Kroel-Dulay G., Moora M., Potts S.G., Rortais A., Sjödin E., Szentgyörgyi H., Torres I., Vighi M., Westphal C., Budrienė A. 2009. Cavity-nesting Hymenoptera across Europe: a study in ALARM project field site network sites using small trap-nests on trees and buildings. In: J. Settele et al. (eds) Atlas of Biodiversity Risk. Sofia & Moscow: Pensoft (in press; print: ISBN 978-954-642-446-4; e-book: ISBN 978-954-642-447-1)

Hammen V.C., Biesmeijer J.C., Bommarco R., Budrys E., Christensen T.R., Fronzek S., Grabaum R., Jaksic P., Klotz S., Kramarz P., Kroel-Dulay G., Kühn I., Mirtl M., Moora M., Petanidou T., Potts S.G., Rortais A., Schulze C.H., Steffan-Dewenter I., Stout J., Szentgyörgyi H., Vighi M., Vilà M., Vujic A., Wolf T., Zavala G., Settele J., Kunin W.E. 2009. Establishment of a cross-European field site network in the ALARM project for assessing large-scale changes in biodiversity. Environmental Monitoring & Assessment (online first: DOI 10.1007/s10661-009-0896-7)

Budrys E. 2009. Records of four bee species new to the fauna of Lithuania (Hymenoptera: Apidae). New and rare for Lithuania insect species. Records and descriptions 21: 138-139.


Budrys E., Budrienė A., Nevronytė Ž. 2009. Check-list of Eumeninae wasp species (Hymenoptera: Vespidae) collected in Lithuania using trap-nests. New and rare for Lithuania insect species. Records and descriptions 21: 140-149.

Schmeller D. S., Henry P.-Y., Julliard R., Gruber B., Clobert J., Dziock F., Lengyel S., Nowicki P., Déri E., Budrys E., Kull T., Tali K., Bauch B., Settele J., van Swaay C., Kobler A., Babij V., Papastergiadou E., Henle K. 2009. Advantages of volunteer-based biodiversity monitoring in Europe. Conservation Biology 23 (2): 307-316. 

Schmeller D. S., Gruber B., Budrys E., Framsted E., Lengyel S., Henle K. 2008. National responsibilities in European species conservation: a methodological review. Conservation Biology 22 (3): 593–601.

Schmeller D.S., Gruber B., Bauch B., Lanno K., Budrys E., Babij V., Juškaitis R., Sammul M., Varga Z., Henle K. 2008. Determination of national conservation responsibilities for species conservation in regions with multiple political jurisdictions. Biodiversity and Conservation 17 (14): 3607-3622.  

Schmeller D. S., Bauch B., Gruber B., Juskaitis R., Budrys E., Babij V., Lanno K., Sammul M., Varga Z., Henle K. 2008. Determination of conservation priorities in regions with multiple political jurisdictions. Biodiversity and Conservation 17 (14): 3623-3630.   

Budrys E., Bačianskas V., Budrienė A., Dapkus D., Švitra G., Ūsaitis T. 2008. Distribution of four species of Oedipodinae grasshoppers in Lithuania (Orthoptera: Acrididae). New and rare for Lithuania insect species. Records and descriptions 20: 14-19. 

Briliūtė A., Budrys E. 2008 (2007). New record of damselfly Lestes barbarus in the south of Lithuania (Odonata: Lestidae). New and rare for Lithuania insect species. Records and descriptions 19: 10-12.   

Budrys E. 2008 (2007). Records of three new for the Lithuanian fauna and four rare wasp species (Hymenoptera: Apoidea: Ampulicidae & Crabronidae). New and rare for Lithuania insect species. Records and descriptions 19: 63-66.  

Budrys E. 2008 (2007). New records of Scolia hirta in Lithuania (Hymenoptera: Scoliidae). New and rare for Lithuania insect species. Records and descriptions 19: 67-68. 

Budrienė A., Budrys E. 2007. Comparison of mating of ten Eumeninae wasp species with a brief review of sexual selection theories: a framework for future research. Acta Zoologica Lituanica 17 (2): 87-104.

Budrys E., Pakalniškis S. 2007. Orthoptera of Lithuania. Acta Zoologica Lituanica 17 (2): 105-115. 

Budrys E. 2006. Five new for Lithuanian fauna crabronid wasp species (Hymenoptera: Apoidea: Crabronidae). New and rare for Lithuania insect species. Records and descriptions 17: 80-82.   

Budrys E. 2005 (2004). Three new for Lithuania crabronid wasp species (Hymenoptera: Apoidea: Crabronidae). New and rare for Lithuania insect species. Records and descriptions 16: 51-52. 

Budrienė A., Budrys, E. 2005. Effect of prey size and number of prey specimens on stinging effort in predatory wasps. Acta Zoologica Lituanica 15 (4): 330-340.

Budriene A., Budrys E. 2005 (2004). Hunting behaviour of predatory wasps (Hymenoptera: Vespidae: Eumeninae): is the distribution of stinging effort phylogenetically inherited or dependent on the prey type? Annales de la Société Entomologique de France 40 (3-4): 259-268.

Budrienė A., Budrys E. 2004. Behavioural elements influencing mating success of Symmorphus allobrogus (Hymenoptera: Eumeninae). Acta Zoologica Lituanica 14 (2): 39-47.

Budrienė A., Budrys E. 2004. Applicability of the ‘locomotor ganglia’ hypothesis to the stinging behaviour of Symmorphus allobrogus, a predatory wasp hunting chrysomelid larvae. Acta Zoologica Lituanica 14 (4): 23-33.

Budrienė A., Budrys E., Nevronytė Ž. 2004. Solitary Hymenoptera Aculeata inhabiting trap-nests in Lithuania: nesting cavity choice and niche overlap. Latvijas entomologs 41: 19-31.

Budrys E., Budrienė A., Pakalniškis S. 2004. Population size assessment using mark-release-recapture of 12 species of Orthoptera, Diptera and Hymenoptera: a comparison of methods. Latvijas entomologs 41: 32-43.

Budrienė A. 2003. Prey of Symmorphus wasps (Hymenoptera: Eumeninae) in Lithuania. Acta Zoologica Lituanica 13 (3): 306-310.

Budrys E. 2001. Mimumesa littoralis (Bondroit), M. oresterus (van Lith), and M. unicolor (Vander Linden): notes on similarity, synonymy, and identification (Hymenoptera, Sphecidae). Insect Systematics & Evolution 32 (2): 177-190.